For some women the political was in simply having a ceremony. Desiree ex- pressed the re-thinking she went through. “ln the beginning, I was strongly against marriage. The word alone sparked my feminist revulsion for the hold that pa- triarchy has on women. I had viewed my coming out as a political decision, and marriage was not at all a comforting thought. But slowly I began to think of marriage as an expression of my love and commitment to Trinity.” Butler describes her own ceremony say- ing, “If marriage is a dream come true, and I think it is, then it is a two-fold pro- cess for most lesbians. You not only have to find your dream woman, you must also awake from ignorance and fear and reclaim the light where your love can reside with honor. Such awakening takes you beyond your brain, beyond fear, into a whole new world.” For those who are considering joining ceremonies or even for those who have already done so but revel in love stories, as I do, this book provides many per- sonal accounts and examples of re- lationships that are strong and caring We are all unique when we stand before each other and declare our love, voice our commitment to each other. The need to share that with a community of friends or family becomes an important step for Out in the Mountains VERMONT'S NEWSPAPER FOR LESBIANS, GAY MEN, AND BISEXUALS By subscribing now to OITM, not only will you guarantee delivery to your mailbox (in a discreet envelope, of course), but you will also help under- write the rising costs of publishing the newspaper. We also welcome any additional contributions you can make to support our continuing existence. Checks should be made payable to OITM and sent, along with this form, to: OITM, P.O. Box 177, Burlington, Vermont 05402-0177. in Name some couples. This book is a valuable re- source for ideas and possibilities. It is also a collection of inspiring love stories that reaffirm our history of enduring re- lationships between women. Adrienne Rich’s poem, which speaks of women’s love, was used in But1er’s cer- emony. It sums up much of the emotion presented in this collection. "The rules break like a thermometer quicksilver spills across the charted systems we're out in a country that has no language no laws, we're chasing the raven and the wren through gorges unexplored since dawn whatever we do is pure invention the maps they gave us were out ofdate by years..." ——From “Twenty-One Love Poems: XIJI V : Address — Q 2 State Zip El One—year ($20) El Low—income ($10) El Sponsor ($_______) Sponsors are especially welcome from those who prefer to pick up QITM_ at one of the paper's distribution points rather than be added to the mailing list. C] Please also let us know if you'd like to get involved in the newspaper. S-92 17 September 1992 LVAVAVLYAVA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual °Bool